Rural-mail-box signal.



E. JOHNSON.

RURAL MAIL BOX SIGNAL.

APPLICATION H-LED MAR. 5. I9I8.

1,298,345. Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

,ZiQ- m4 m-MWM' 5 I W77; 1 %%W J ERIC JOHNSON, OF NEW YQRK, N. Y.

RURAL-MAIL-BOX SIGNAL.

Application filed March 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E1210 JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rural-Mail-Box Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to that class of mail boxes for use in the rural free delivery service.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a mail box of this character, wherein an indicator will be operated to signify the deposit of mail matter within the box and only when such mail matter has been deposited therein.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mail box of this character wherein the indicator can be viewed from either side of the box and is completely housed to protect the same from variable weather conditions, the construction of the indicator being of novel form to assure the perfect working thereof and will remain in neutral position when there is no mail within the box and is only operable when mail matter has been deposited therein.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mail box of this character which is comparatively simple in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, strong, durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described. illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail box constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional 'view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate. corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 220,576.

designates generally the mail box, which of any ordinary well known or approved construction having in its front wall near the top thereof the usual mail slot 5 for the deposit of mail matter interiorly of the box as usual. It is of course to be understood that the box A is to be supported in any suitable manner at the desired point of location in accordance with the requirements of the rural mail service.

Mounted interiorly of the box A on opposite side walls thereof above its bottom are box like housings 6 through which are passed horizontal stud shafts 7 each being journaled in the vertical wall of the housing 6 and the adjacent vertical side Wall of the box A to extend exteriorly of the latter. Formed on each shaft 7 is a crank arm 8 which is located within the housing 6 and has pivotally or otherwise loosely connected thereto a mail matter container hereinafter fully described.

Suspended within the box A is the mail matter container which comprises a box like body or frame 9 having rising from the opposite sides thereof suspension hangers 10 which are pivotally or otherwise loosely connected to the arms of the shafts 7 and this body or frame is adapted to be normally balanced elevated above the bottom of the box A and is adapted to receive mail matter when deposited within said box. the mail matter when received in the body or frame 9 will cause the over balancing thereof for the turning of the shafts 7 which operate an indicator hereinafter described.

The housings 6 are formed in their under sides with suitable slots 11 for the hangers 10 which work therethrough.

Mounted on the outer end of each shaft 7 is a pointer or indicator hand 12 which when in normal or neutral position sustains the mail matter container properly balanced interiorly' of the box and in such position the said pointer or indicator hand 12 will signify that no mail matter has been deposited within the box.

Inclosing the pointers or indicator hands 12 exteriorly of the box A are casings 13 which are suitably mounted upon the box and each carries a glass panel or window 14 serving as a peep sight for viewing the position of the pointer or indicator hand 12' within the casing 13 to enable a mail collector to determine whether or not mail matter has been deposited in the box and thereby saving thecollectors time necessary to open the box. Thus it will be seen that in the use of the indicator the mail collector need "not open the box and place his hand therein to determinewhether or not it contains mail matter. When mail matter 'is present Within the box thesame can be gathered therein and removed through the usual doorway 15 'Which is closed in the usual manner.

The Weight of the mail matterdelivered into the container will overbalance thesamc V and on the'loWering of said'container the construction and manner of operation of the. box will be clearlyunderstood and therefore a more extended explanation has, been omitted.

What is claimed: is :f

1. A mail box having a vertically movable mail matter receiving container, horizontally dlsposed shaftsqournaled in opposites/ides of the box, crank arms on the shaft interiorly of the box and having pivotal connection With the container, pointers exteriorly of the boxandcarried by the shafts to balance the container and indicate movement thereof When mail matter has been deposited in said container, casings on the box and inf closing each pointer and having a sight opening for viewing the pointer, and boxings interiorly of the box and inclosing the crank arms of said 2. A mail box comprisinga hollow body,

a casing mounted on opposite'sides of the body and having transparent panels,transverse shaftsijournaled in the sides ofthe body and projected into the casings, indica tor hands fixed to, the shaftsinteriorly of the casings and visible through theytl'ans,

parent panels, crank arms'on theshafts interiorly of the body, and a tray "pivotedly suspended from the. free ends ofthe' crank arms interiorly of the body and normally J ERL Z. WEIciI 'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedjor five cents each, by addressing .the"com inissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0, i

whereof I aclfix my signature,

ERIC .mH s'om 

